Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Good morning, and welcome to Carolina Conference Call. I'm your host,
Beth Bradley, and with me this morning is Beth Silkowski.
Now she is the director of Communications for the Alzheimer's
Associations South Carolina Chapter. That's quite a mouthful. Good morning, Beth.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Is good morning. How are you today?
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Well, I am fantastic, and I'm really excited to get
you on because I think a lot of us, I'm
being one of them. You know, the word Alzheimer scares us,
you know, because and I'm sure you know I'm talking
about from a time that you know. I remember when
it was first coming out, we know anything about it,
and everyone was afraid of everything. But because of people
like you and the Association, a lot more is known,
(01:05):
a lot more treatments are happening, correct.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
That's right. So, like if I can be personal for
a moment, I first heard of Alzheimer's when I was
nine years old. My great grandparents. They lived in another state,
and after my great grandma passed away, we were all
shocked by how far gone my great grandfather was with
Alzheimer's disease. We just didn't know what we didn't know,
(01:28):
and you know, because they were out of state. We
just had to jump in the car and jump into
action and figure things out. And there weren't any treatments then,
there were not many resources to guide families. I want
to do next. Fortunately the landscape has changed quite a bit,
and this is you know, a few decades later. Now
we have the first ever treatments that can it can
(01:53):
flow the progression of the disease in the very earliest stages,
which is you know, the first time we've been able
to say that, and it's not decure, but it is
a huge step forward for those who are recently diagnosed.
And we have so many resources to help family, from
you know, information support. We have a twenty four hour
(02:16):
help one that people can call anytime, day or night
with their questions, whether it's not Alzheimer's or another kind
of dementia or just you know, changes the memory. Trying
to figure out what you need to do next. That
is exactly what we're here for now.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
I know you're not a doctor, but how do you
know it's not just aging that is Alzheimer's. And I
have an uncle that we lost him to Alzheimer's and
he started, you know, his first symptoms was in his
early fifties, so that's how we kind of knew it
was that. But as people age, how do you know
it's just not them getting old or dementia or Alzheimer's.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
Yeah, that is an awesome question, and this is the
perfect time to be thinking about that. June is actually
Alzheimer's and Brand Awareness Month, and one of the things
that we really courage people to think about this month
is just to be familiar with some of the warning signs,
because a lot of people think of Alzheimer's as you know,
something that just happens people when you get older. This
(03:11):
is normal. It's not normal. This is memory less. That's
severe enough to disrupt to daily life. But it goes
beyond that. It goes to you know, challenges with planning
or solving, problems balancing your chest book, problems completing familiar tasks,
or you know, making the recipe you've made all your
(03:32):
life and now all of a sudden you can't do it,
or you're confused about what day or time it is.
It can even be problems with speaking or writing or
word finding. It can be losing things and not being
able to retrace your steps to find them, or withdrawing socially,
(03:52):
it can show up as changes in mood and personality.
It's so much more than just memory changes. And so
at our website alz dot org, we have the ten
warning signs and symptoms of Alzheimer's and dementia, and with
each one of those symptoms underneath it, it says what
is the typical age related change? So if you have
(04:15):
something that you're worried about, you can check that out
and say, okay, well, you know I sometimes I make
a mistake every now and then I might forget to
change the oil in the car. But that is a
normal change. What is not normal is you know, just
completely being able to make rational decisions, making really poor
(04:37):
decisions with money, or you know, not being able to
keep themselves clean and hygienic. But there are so many
ways that it can show up, and if anyone has
questions about it wants someone to talk to about it,
our twenty four hour helpline is there for you to
kind of talk things out and figure out what to
do next. And that number is eight hundred two seven
(04:59):
two three nine zero zero. It's a free call anytime
day or night, and you can also talk to your doctor.
You know, increasingly as we understand more about Alzheimer's and dementia.
Any concerns that you have, raise them to your doctor,
and you know, be proactive and advocating for yourself or
for a loved one, because you know, your brain is
(05:21):
a really important part of your body, so we don't
want to take any changes lightly.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
Well, you know, it's so funny someone explained to you
t wants and exactly what you're just saying. This said,
it's kind of like you and you might forget to
brush your teeth, but if you look at a toothbrush
and doesn't know you don't know what it does, that's
when exactly you know, you're like and that just kind
of rang true. I was like, oh, so if I
forget the remote or probably had the remote my hand,
I cared to the kitchen like why did you do that?
But if I didn't know what the remote did, then
then then I'm you know, need to get get helped
(05:47):
and get you know, let my doctor know these things.
And I also think it's probably good as you age
to make sure you do have a family doctor that
then knows how you normally are, and as we age,
he sees the changes.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
In you Yeah, I think that's a great point. Just
going into your annual physical. If you're of Medicare age,
there's a Medicare wellness visit that you can take advantage
of every year, and it's just a great way to
have a baseline to have a doctor who knows what
your normal is, so when your normal starts changing, they
(06:17):
can see those changes too. So you're right. And it's
also just vitally important to take care of other health conditions.
So if you're diabetic, if you have high blood pressure,
anything like that, it actually increases your risks of developing
so much. Just so managing those conditions as well as
(06:38):
you can, making sure you know that if you need
medication for those conditions to keep your numbers right, that
is a very compelling reason to take charge of your
overall health because all of that plays into your brain health.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
And you brought up earlier that junis Alzheimer Awareness Month
and Brain Awareness month. What should we do this month?
You know, like in October all you know it's Mamma
gram Tom. What do we do now that is Alzheimer's Month?
What should we do for ourselves?
Speaker 2 (07:06):
Sure, well, we think of pink in October, so June
is actually purple. Purple is the color of the Alzheimer's movement,
and I love it because you know, we do a
lot of work across the severe. We educate, we're here
to support families, we find resource research. We are advocating
to our state government and our federal government for the
(07:27):
needs of families. And I love to say this is
not or a red or a blue issue. This is
very much a purple issue. Alzheimer's doesn't care who you are,
doesn't care who you voted for, doesn't care how much
money you have. We are all at risk. So during June,
it's important to know that there are healthy habits that
you can incorporate into your life that make a difference
(07:48):
for your brain health. Positive everyday actions, no matter how small,
can make a difference and even lower your risk of
cognitive decline and possibly dementia down the road. So there
are some things that can't change, right. We can't change
how old we are, we can't change what's in our genetics.
But we can keep learning and challenge our minds. We
(08:09):
can get moving on a regular basis, find ways to
build more movement into your day, even if it's you know,
setting an alarm every hour to get up from your
desk and walk around just for a few minutes, just
to get the blood flowing. Obviously that's not the most
that you can do, but also under some brain Awareness
Month is really about finding some small changes that point
(08:31):
you in the right direction. So you know, if you smoke,
consider trying to stop because that quitting smoking can lower
the risk of tonguna to climb back to levels similar
to those who have never smoked. Your blood pressure, managing diabetes,
eating leaner meat and proteins, more fruits and vegetables, and
getting good sleep. Really prioritizing sleep. Sleep is a really
(08:56):
important time for your brain to kind of clear out
the stuff that accumulates during the day. And if you
have sleep related problems like sleep apamea or other disturbances,
make sure you talk to a doctor because that sleep
is really important to your brain health. If you want
to learn more about that, you can also get at
(09:16):
alg dot org. We have ten healthy habits for your
brain and there's no time like tune to learn about
that and make a little plan for yourself. You know,
it could be as simple as you know, what my
blood pressure has been high, I need to go see
my doctor, I should try medicine. I just see if
that helps, you know, because all these little things add up.
What's good for your heart is also good for your brain.
(09:39):
And if we can do some small things to reduce
our risk in the ways that we can control, it's
gonna set us up for as healthy a brain as
we can, for as long as we can.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
Well, you know, I'm so glad I'm talking to you
today because I think I just had it in my mind.
It was genetic that you know, there's not much you
can do. Like you said, there may be medicines now
they can slow it down. If you're going to get it,
you're going to get it. But I'm glad to know
that I can control it, you know, with my diet
and exercise.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
Yeah, you can't control it one hundred percent. So there's
no surefire prevention, but there's definitely proven ways to reduce risk.
A lot of people do think that Alzheimer's is genetic,
and there are some cases genetic linkages, especially for those
who develop it at a younger age, earlier than age
sixty five. We call that younger onset Alzheimer's, and that
(10:27):
one does tend to have more of a genetic connection.
But you know, the research that we have shows that
as many as forty five percent of dementia cases might
be attributable to things that we can change, like controlling
high blood pressure and lack of physical activity. And research
(10:48):
has some very strong evidence that by adopting healthy behaviors
like getting more exercise, the equality sleeps, eating better can
improve your brain health and cognition and reduce your risk
of cognitive decline in dementia. And I should point out
here that there are many causes of dementia. Alzheimer's is
the most common cause. Alzheimer's is a disease. It has
(11:13):
very specific things that are happening on the cellular level
that market as a particular disease. But dementia is it's
an umbrella term for cognitive decline that is severe enough
to impact your daily life, and a lot of times
vascular dementia, which is related to your heart health and
(11:35):
your blood flow to your brain. It is very common.
Sometimes you can have both happening at the same time.
That's called mixed dementia. It's a very common diagnosis. So
it's really looking at, you know, the broad spectrum of
the various kinds of dementia that there are. How we
can reduce our risk by our lifestyle.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
Well, you know, and let's bring this more localist, bring
this to South Carolina. I've bringing some numbers that you
gave me, and like it looks like one hundred and
twelve five hundred thousand people are living with Alzheimer's the
deventia is that's right, that's right.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
The numbers are high here, but they're high all across
the country. And you know that's just people with Alzheimer's
who are age sixty five and older. We actually have
an amazing and long running Alzheimer's and Dementia Registry here
in South Carolina that's passed at the University of South Carolina,
and so that tracks all dementia cases, not just Alzheimer's,
(12:37):
and I believe their account is over one hundred and
twenty thousand at this point in time South Carolinians living
with Alzheimer's. And he does have to think for every
one of those people, there is a caregiver. There are
family members who are trying their best to help and
to provide for them, who are making changes and their
(12:58):
work and their family life to take on that role
and you know, I really want folks to know that
the Alzheimer's Association is here to help by providing information
support groups. We have many local support groups that you
can find at our local website ALG dot org slash sc.
(13:19):
We also have some that meet virtually they're based in
South Carolina, but they meet by zoom. That's something we
had to kind of move to during the pandemic and
because it's very convenient for a lot of people that
has stuck around, and that's a great option. We have
a lot of education programs that we offer both in
person and online. A lot of our courses are available
(13:41):
on demand. You can just go, like if you want
to take an hour and really understand the ten warning
phones that we talked about, that class is available for
free on our website. You just have to carve out
a little bit of times, lug into your computer or
your you know, your smartphone, and you can learn whenever
it's convenient for you.
Speaker 1 (13:59):
Well, trust me, when we hang up or when I
where this interview is over, I am going to go
to this helpline and look at the ten things you
were talking about, because I think we all worry about
things like that, and I suggest that we're listening do
the same again. That is alz dot org, Forge, slash
sc now and God blessed the caretakers. You brought the
caretakers were you know, God bless them. And I know
(14:20):
that with the resources you have and the support groups,
it takes money. We have to have fundraisers.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
That's right.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
What's coming up that we can help with the Alzheimer's Association.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
Absolutely, there are so many ways to join the fights.
So at our biggest fundraisers in the fall, it's our
Walks in Alzheimer's and we have one Caasens and Anderson
Greenville and Sputinberg. Those are going to be in September
and October Saturdays, and all of those dates are on
our website. That's free to register, start a team, raise
(14:52):
some money if you raise one hundred dollars to get
a T shirt. So that is probably our biggest event
that everyone can join into. If you're in this. We
have an amazing three day cycling event across South Carolina
from the upstate to the coast. It's called Ride to
end All and that is happening in July. So there's
still a little bit of time to register and to
(15:14):
fundraise and get training for that. And then we also
have another really cool event it's called the Longest Day
and it's basically a do it yourself model. Like if
you like to bake, if you like to hike, if
you like to play pickaball, whatever activity it is that
you are passionate about, we give you tools and ways
(15:34):
that you can turn that into a fundraiser. So a
lot of people will host a one day event and
you know, it could be a lemonade stand, it could
be a bake sale, it could be you know, a
workout party at your gym, or a yoga fundraiser there
you can do any of those things through the Longest Day.
It's also really important to remember we need volunteers, so
(15:55):
that is to help plan these local events, but also
volunteers are central to educating our community. We provide thorough
training on all these educational programs that we provide so
that you can become a community educator. That is a
huge need. Or you know, if you are at a workplace,
then you have workplace wellness topics. You can request that
(16:17):
we come and give a brief presentation on this info
to your colleagues and employees or to your church or
to your community group. Again, that is completely free, and
it's an important way to let people know about the
resources available if this is something that they're facing, but
also ways that they can get involved in the fight
because Alzheimer's often feel it's like a hopeless disease. That
(16:40):
we have more hope right now than ever before. We
have so much momentum. It's such an exciting time to
be part of this movement, and there is a way
for everyone to get involved and be a part of it.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
I'm glad to hear that, because again, I think it's
a lot that we all kind of worry about. So
if you're like me, you've always kind of like, eh,
you know, I've got to watch it here. I forgot
about this. I'm a little worried about that. Make sure
you hit that website. It's the Alzheimer's Association alz dot
org forde slash South Carolina, so you can get some
of the more local information. Is there anything else we
(17:17):
need to know before we let you go?
Speaker 2 (17:20):
I would say just if you have any concerns about
yourself or a family member, don't put off going to
the doctor, because, as I mentioned, those treatments that we
have that can slow the progression. Those are specifically for
the early stages of the disease, so it pays to
be proactive and have those conversations now, even though they're
hard to have. And if you need some help on
(17:40):
how to go about that, call our twenty four hour
helpline that's eight hundred two seven three nine zero zero.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
Well best, God bless you and people like you that
are volunteering and working with Alzheimer's Association. It affects so
many of us, and so many of us want to
be more aware. Remember that website again is alz dot
org bord slash see. We appreciate everything you do and
what the association is doing.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
Thank you so much, glad Biga
Good morning, and welcome to Carolina Conference Call. I'm your host,
Beth Bradley, and with me this morning is Beth Silkowski.
Now she is the director of Communications for the Alzheimer's
Associations South Carolina Chapter. That's quite a mouthful. Good morning, Beth.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Is good morning. How are you today?
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Well, I am fantastic, and I'm really excited to get
you on because I think a lot of us, I'm
being one of them. You know, the word Alzheimer scares us,
you know, because and I'm sure you know I'm talking
about from a time that you know. I remember when
it was first coming out, we know anything about it,
and everyone was afraid of everything. But because of people
like you and the Association, a lot more is known,
(01:05):
a lot more treatments are happening, correct.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
That's right. So, like if I can be personal for
a moment, I first heard of Alzheimer's when I was
nine years old. My great grandparents. They lived in another state,
and after my great grandma passed away, we were all
shocked by how far gone my great grandfather was with
Alzheimer's disease. We just didn't know what we didn't know,
(01:28):
and you know, because they were out of state. We
just had to jump in the car and jump into
action and figure things out. And there weren't any treatments then,
there were not many resources to guide families. I want
to do next. Fortunately the landscape has changed quite a bit,
and this is you know, a few decades later. Now
we have the first ever treatments that can it can
(01:53):
flow the progression of the disease in the very earliest stages,
which is you know, the first time we've been able
to say that, and it's not decure, but it is
a huge step forward for those who are recently diagnosed.
And we have so many resources to help family, from
you know, information support. We have a twenty four hour
(02:16):
help one that people can call anytime, day or night
with their questions, whether it's not Alzheimer's or another kind
of dementia or just you know, changes the memory. Trying
to figure out what you need to do next. That
is exactly what we're here for now.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
I know you're not a doctor, but how do you
know it's not just aging that is Alzheimer's. And I
have an uncle that we lost him to Alzheimer's and
he started, you know, his first symptoms was in his
early fifties, so that's how we kind of knew it
was that. But as people age, how do you know
it's just not them getting old or dementia or Alzheimer's.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
Yeah, that is an awesome question, and this is the
perfect time to be thinking about that. June is actually
Alzheimer's and Brand Awareness Month, and one of the things
that we really courage people to think about this month
is just to be familiar with some of the warning signs,
because a lot of people think of Alzheimer's as you know,
something that just happens people when you get older. This
(03:11):
is normal. It's not normal. This is memory less. That's
severe enough to disrupt to daily life. But it goes
beyond that. It goes to you know, challenges with planning
or solving, problems balancing your chest book, problems completing familiar tasks,
or you know, making the recipe you've made all your
(03:32):
life and now all of a sudden you can't do it,
or you're confused about what day or time it is.
It can even be problems with speaking or writing or
word finding. It can be losing things and not being
able to retrace your steps to find them, or withdrawing socially,
(03:52):
it can show up as changes in mood and personality.
It's so much more than just memory changes. And so
at our website alz dot org, we have the ten
warning signs and symptoms of Alzheimer's and dementia, and with
each one of those symptoms underneath it, it says what
is the typical age related change? So if you have
(04:15):
something that you're worried about, you can check that out
and say, okay, well, you know I sometimes I make
a mistake every now and then I might forget to
change the oil in the car. But that is a
normal change. What is not normal is you know, just
completely being able to make rational decisions, making really poor
(04:37):
decisions with money, or you know, not being able to
keep themselves clean and hygienic. But there are so many
ways that it can show up, and if anyone has
questions about it wants someone to talk to about it,
our twenty four hour helpline is there for you to
kind of talk things out and figure out what to
do next. And that number is eight hundred two seven
(04:59):
two three nine zero zero. It's a free call anytime
day or night, and you can also talk to your doctor.
You know, increasingly as we understand more about Alzheimer's and dementia.
Any concerns that you have, raise them to your doctor,
and you know, be proactive and advocating for yourself or
for a loved one, because you know, your brain is
(05:21):
a really important part of your body, so we don't
want to take any changes lightly.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
Well, you know, it's so funny someone explained to you
t wants and exactly what you're just saying. This said,
it's kind of like you and you might forget to
brush your teeth, but if you look at a toothbrush
and doesn't know you don't know what it does, that's
when exactly you know, you're like and that just kind
of rang true. I was like, oh, so if I
forget the remote or probably had the remote my hand,
I cared to the kitchen like why did you do that?
But if I didn't know what the remote did, then
then then I'm you know, need to get get helped
(05:47):
and get you know, let my doctor know these things.
And I also think it's probably good as you age
to make sure you do have a family doctor that
then knows how you normally are, and as we age,
he sees the changes.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
In you Yeah, I think that's a great point. Just
going into your annual physical. If you're of Medicare age,
there's a Medicare wellness visit that you can take advantage
of every year, and it's just a great way to
have a baseline to have a doctor who knows what
your normal is, so when your normal starts changing, they
(06:17):
can see those changes too. So you're right. And it's
also just vitally important to take care of other health conditions.
So if you're diabetic, if you have high blood pressure,
anything like that, it actually increases your risks of developing
so much. Just so managing those conditions as well as
(06:38):
you can, making sure you know that if you need
medication for those conditions to keep your numbers right, that
is a very compelling reason to take charge of your
overall health because all of that plays into your brain health.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
And you brought up earlier that junis Alzheimer Awareness Month
and Brain Awareness month. What should we do this month?
You know, like in October all you know it's Mamma
gram Tom. What do we do now that is Alzheimer's Month?
What should we do for ourselves?
Speaker 2 (07:06):
Sure, well, we think of pink in October, so June
is actually purple. Purple is the color of the Alzheimer's movement,
and I love it because you know, we do a
lot of work across the severe. We educate, we're here
to support families, we find resource research. We are advocating
to our state government and our federal government for the
(07:27):
needs of families. And I love to say this is
not or a red or a blue issue. This is
very much a purple issue. Alzheimer's doesn't care who you are,
doesn't care who you voted for, doesn't care how much
money you have. We are all at risk. So during June,
it's important to know that there are healthy habits that
you can incorporate into your life that make a difference
(07:48):
for your brain health. Positive everyday actions, no matter how small,
can make a difference and even lower your risk of
cognitive decline and possibly dementia down the road. So there
are some things that can't change, right. We can't change
how old we are, we can't change what's in our genetics.
But we can keep learning and challenge our minds. We
(08:09):
can get moving on a regular basis, find ways to
build more movement into your day, even if it's you know,
setting an alarm every hour to get up from your
desk and walk around just for a few minutes, just
to get the blood flowing. Obviously that's not the most
that you can do, but also under some brain Awareness
Month is really about finding some small changes that point
(08:31):
you in the right direction. So you know, if you smoke,
consider trying to stop because that quitting smoking can lower
the risk of tonguna to climb back to levels similar
to those who have never smoked. Your blood pressure, managing diabetes,
eating leaner meat and proteins, more fruits and vegetables, and
getting good sleep. Really prioritizing sleep. Sleep is a really
(08:56):
important time for your brain to kind of clear out
the stuff that accumulates during the day. And if you
have sleep related problems like sleep apamea or other disturbances,
make sure you talk to a doctor because that sleep
is really important to your brain health. If you want
to learn more about that, you can also get at
(09:16):
alg dot org. We have ten healthy habits for your
brain and there's no time like tune to learn about
that and make a little plan for yourself. You know,
it could be as simple as you know, what my
blood pressure has been high, I need to go see
my doctor, I should try medicine. I just see if
that helps, you know, because all these little things add up.
What's good for your heart is also good for your brain.
(09:39):
And if we can do some small things to reduce
our risk in the ways that we can control, it's
gonna set us up for as healthy a brain as
we can, for as long as we can.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
Well, you know, I'm so glad I'm talking to you
today because I think I just had it in my mind.
It was genetic that you know, there's not much you
can do. Like you said, there may be medicines now
they can slow it down. If you're going to get it,
you're going to get it. But I'm glad to know
that I can control it, you know, with my diet
and exercise.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
Yeah, you can't control it one hundred percent. So there's
no surefire prevention, but there's definitely proven ways to reduce risk.
A lot of people do think that Alzheimer's is genetic,
and there are some cases genetic linkages, especially for those
who develop it at a younger age, earlier than age
sixty five. We call that younger onset Alzheimer's, and that
(10:27):
one does tend to have more of a genetic connection.
But you know, the research that we have shows that
as many as forty five percent of dementia cases might
be attributable to things that we can change, like controlling
high blood pressure and lack of physical activity. And research
(10:48):
has some very strong evidence that by adopting healthy behaviors
like getting more exercise, the equality sleeps, eating better can
improve your brain health and cognition and reduce your risk
of cognitive decline in dementia. And I should point out
here that there are many causes of dementia. Alzheimer's is
the most common cause. Alzheimer's is a disease. It has
(11:13):
very specific things that are happening on the cellular level
that market as a particular disease. But dementia is it's
an umbrella term for cognitive decline that is severe enough
to impact your daily life, and a lot of times
vascular dementia, which is related to your heart health and
(11:35):
your blood flow to your brain. It is very common.
Sometimes you can have both happening at the same time.
That's called mixed dementia. It's a very common diagnosis. So
it's really looking at, you know, the broad spectrum of
the various kinds of dementia that there are. How we
can reduce our risk by our lifestyle.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
Well, you know, and let's bring this more localist, bring
this to South Carolina. I've bringing some numbers that you
gave me, and like it looks like one hundred and
twelve five hundred thousand people are living with Alzheimer's the
deventia is that's right, that's right.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
The numbers are high here, but they're high all across
the country. And you know that's just people with Alzheimer's
who are age sixty five and older. We actually have
an amazing and long running Alzheimer's and Dementia Registry here
in South Carolina that's passed at the University of South Carolina,
and so that tracks all dementia cases, not just Alzheimer's,
(12:37):
and I believe their account is over one hundred and
twenty thousand at this point in time South Carolinians living
with Alzheimer's. And he does have to think for every
one of those people, there is a caregiver. There are
family members who are trying their best to help and
to provide for them, who are making changes and their
(12:58):
work and their family life to take on that role
and you know, I really want folks to know that
the Alzheimer's Association is here to help by providing information
support groups. We have many local support groups that you
can find at our local website ALG dot org slash sc.
(13:19):
We also have some that meet virtually they're based in
South Carolina, but they meet by zoom. That's something we
had to kind of move to during the pandemic and
because it's very convenient for a lot of people that
has stuck around, and that's a great option. We have
a lot of education programs that we offer both in
person and online. A lot of our courses are available
(13:41):
on demand. You can just go, like if you want
to take an hour and really understand the ten warning
phones that we talked about, that class is available for
free on our website. You just have to carve out
a little bit of times, lug into your computer or
your you know, your smartphone, and you can learn whenever
it's convenient for you.
Speaker 1 (13:59):
Well, trust me, when we hang up or when I
where this interview is over, I am going to go
to this helpline and look at the ten things you
were talking about, because I think we all worry about
things like that, and I suggest that we're listening do
the same again. That is alz dot org, Forge, slash
sc now and God blessed the caretakers. You brought the
caretakers were you know, God bless them. And I know
(14:20):
that with the resources you have and the support groups,
it takes money. We have to have fundraisers.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
That's right.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
What's coming up that we can help with the Alzheimer's Association.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
Absolutely, there are so many ways to join the fights.
So at our biggest fundraisers in the fall, it's our
Walks in Alzheimer's and we have one Caasens and Anderson
Greenville and Sputinberg. Those are going to be in September
and October Saturdays, and all of those dates are on
our website. That's free to register, start a team, raise
(14:52):
some money if you raise one hundred dollars to get
a T shirt. So that is probably our biggest event
that everyone can join into. If you're in this. We
have an amazing three day cycling event across South Carolina
from the upstate to the coast. It's called Ride to
end All and that is happening in July. So there's
still a little bit of time to register and to
(15:14):
fundraise and get training for that. And then we also
have another really cool event it's called the Longest Day
and it's basically a do it yourself model. Like if
you like to bake, if you like to hike, if
you like to play pickaball, whatever activity it is that
you are passionate about, we give you tools and ways
(15:34):
that you can turn that into a fundraiser. So a
lot of people will host a one day event and
you know, it could be a lemonade stand, it could
be a bake sale, it could be you know, a
workout party at your gym, or a yoga fundraiser there
you can do any of those things through the Longest Day.
It's also really important to remember we need volunteers, so
(15:55):
that is to help plan these local events, but also
volunteers are central to educating our community. We provide thorough
training on all these educational programs that we provide so
that you can become a community educator. That is a
huge need. Or you know, if you are at a workplace,
then you have workplace wellness topics. You can request that
(16:17):
we come and give a brief presentation on this info
to your colleagues and employees or to your church or
to your community group. Again, that is completely free, and
it's an important way to let people know about the
resources available if this is something that they're facing, but
also ways that they can get involved in the fight
because Alzheimer's often feel it's like a hopeless disease. That
(16:40):
we have more hope right now than ever before. We
have so much momentum. It's such an exciting time to
be part of this movement, and there is a way
for everyone to get involved and be a part of it.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
I'm glad to hear that, because again, I think it's
a lot that we all kind of worry about. So
if you're like me, you've always kind of like, eh,
you know, I've got to watch it here. I forgot
about this. I'm a little worried about that. Make sure
you hit that website. It's the Alzheimer's Association alz dot
org forde slash South Carolina, so you can get some
of the more local information. Is there anything else we
(17:17):
need to know before we let you go?
Speaker 2 (17:20):
I would say just if you have any concerns about
yourself or a family member, don't put off going to
the doctor, because, as I mentioned, those treatments that we
have that can slow the progression. Those are specifically for
the early stages of the disease, so it pays to
be proactive and have those conversations now, even though they're
hard to have. And if you need some help on
(17:40):
how to go about that, call our twenty four hour
helpline that's eight hundred two seven three nine zero zero.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
Well best, God bless you and people like you that
are volunteering and working with Alzheimer's Association. It affects so
many of us, and so many of us want to
be more aware. Remember that website again is alz dot
org bord slash see. We appreciate everything you do and
what the association is doing.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
Thank you so much, glad Biga
Ellis & Bradley News
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